The web in series

Web series vs digital series

According to Wikipedia, a web series is a series of short web videos that allow interaction with the protagonists and Executive Producers of the story. If an episode is uploaded to YouTube, for example, you can communicate directly via the comment function. Many series also offer active elements. This means that the viewer can decide at a certain point in the story which path the protagonist takes and thus influence the outcome of the story. For a long time, this principle was more familiar from computer games.

So far, so good. But even the term "web series" is cause for discussion: "Many people automatically associate web series with some kind of trash format, which is why the film industry now prefers to talk about digital series," reveals Nina Heinrich, founder of Wendie Webfest Hamburg and herself a web series producer. The format is particularly interesting for filmmakers who like to experiment, as there are no fixed standards. Anything goes, nothing has to. There are no genre boundaries.

How it all began

Does anyone still remember the digital platform "3min"? If not, it could be because Deutsche Telekom cancelled its web series project from 2009 after just two years. The average length of an episode was three minutes and was produced exclusively for the internet. A new approach, but the format fell far short of expectations. Even the likes of Christian Ulm and Niels Ruf, who had their own series on the platform, were unable to change this. The German audience was simply not yet ready for the new format. Web series such as "Pietshow" (commissioned by StudiVZ at the time) or "Deer Lucy" were able to achieve minor successes at the same time, but were also cancelled after a short time. In the USA, web series were already more advanced at this time. In 1995, "The Spot" was the first web series to reach a larger audience (more than 100,000 clicks per day at peak times) and was based on the already well-known series Melrose Place. The series had its own website (YouTube did not yet exist) and offered fans the opportunity to interact. This was followed in 2006 by lonelygirl15, one of the first web series on YouTube, which was the most subscribed channel on the video platform for a short time.

Production company or low budget

Even with digital series, there are elaborate and less elaborate productions. Wishlist is currently a very successful mystery series. The series consists of 10 episodes of 15 minutes each and is about an app that fulfils every wish and demands different services in return. Behind the series is funk, the content network of ARD and ZDF. It's clear that it was shot with a slightly higher budget - but you can see that in the series. However, digital series can also be produced without much effort. The most important thing: "You need a good story," says Nick Buckenauer, series creator and co-founder of Wendie Webfest. In addition, you shouldn't go overboard and plan with the resources you have at your disposal. "If you don't have a dinosaur but need one for your story, you'd better think of something else," adds Nina Heinrich. Nowadays, technology should no longer be a problem. There are web series that were filmed entirely with a mobile phone and a few extensions (e.g. a special lens). So what are the most important things on the way to the web series Olympics?

1. Have a good story 2. Burn for your story 3. Have a good team

Of course, you can also be a "one-man show" as an Executive Producer, Director of Photography, editor, actor and marketing expert all in one. But then we're back to the point of "don't get ahead of yourself".

Web festivals and platforms

If you start out privately and without a production company, you shouldn't expect miracles when it comes to click figures. Just because the series is uploaded to YouTube or Vimeo doesn't mean that anyone will find it. However, it can help, for example, to use platforms such asourseries.com who have set themselves the task of bundling the web series on offer on the Internet and making them easy to find. Web festivals at home and abroad are a further multiplier and can publicise series beyond national borders and connect filmmakers with each other. The web seriesDyke bulls by Schleswig-Holstein Director Michael Söth initially attracted little attention in Germany, but went on to win awards at web festivals in France and even in the Bahamas. Söth has now found support for the second season of his Deichbullen with Studio Hamburg. The web series as a springboard and marketing tool? Not an unusual approach. Support for young series makers can also come from film schools, foundations (e.g. Hamburgische Kulturstiftung) or film funding organisations such as Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein/Filmwerkstattkiel. The best way to find out exactly which funding opportunities are available is to enquire in person.

In conclusion, it has never been so easy and so difficult at the same time to achieve a "web breakthrough" with just a few resources. The competition is fierce, but if you have patience and a good story, you will find your niche audience. And who knows, maybe even support for the next big thing.

Web series tips for beginners

Which freely accessible web series should you definitely not miss out on at the moment? Here are a few tips from home and abroad from the Wendie Webfest crew:

Kumbaya!

Stoner comedy and religious satire straight from Hamburg Wilhelmsburg.

Production: Reclaimed Marshland // Idea & script by Nick Buckenauer and Sebastian Droschinski

Fat and grease

This comedy series from Munich, which won the Indie Award at the Series Camp Festival, shows life in your late 20s - or at least the funny part of it.

Production: Chiara Grabmayr & Jakob Schreier

High Road

This comedy series from Munich, which won the Indie Award at the Series Camp Festival, shows life in your late 20s - or at least the funny part of it.

Production: Chiara Grabmayr & Jakob Schreier

Darren has a Breakdown

Romantic comedy series from the UK in which Darren has to get over the love of his life - the second season has already been released.

Production: Menelik Simpson

C.A.T. - Comics and Actionfigures Team

And the last recommendation takes us back to Hamburg - to Christian Grundey's dryly humorous nerd chamber play set in a comic shop in St. Pauli.

Production: Christian Grundey